As a counter-terrorism consultant, it is both frustrating and infuriating to listen to media figures and talking-heads discuss domestic Islamic terrorism. Anytime a Muslim is caught trying to kill Americans on American soil, these figures rush to tell us that these would-be terrorists are not known to have any connection to international terrorist groups, and therefore we shouldn’t be worried. But as we found out from the cases of Army Major Nidal Hasan and Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, both were actually in communication with foreign terrorist organizations. (Hasan was emailing al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula chief Anwar al-Awlaki, and Shahzad had been commissioned by the Pakistani Taliban).

The message from the media: if a terrorist act isn’t connected to international terrorists, it really isn’t terrorism, but rather “violent extremism” or a “man-caused disaster.”

Another narrative floated by the establishment media in such circumstances: the so-called “lone wolf” jihadist is impossible to diagnose beforehand, and therefore the causes of such are random and ultimately unknowable.

The fact is that these “lone wolf” jihadists have rarely acted alone. We now know about the radicalization process — there are typically a whole host of actors and support networks pushing individuals through the radicalization pipeline. While these individuals and organizations may not have been directly involved in planning a terrorist attack, their participation in terms of indoctrinating would-be jihadists and providing religious justification for acts of violence is essential to the process.

The involvement of these support networks is almost never investigated by law enforcement or the establishment media. One of the few media figures on the terrorism beat who actually gets the problem is CBN News terrorism correspondent and Fox News terrorism analyst Erick Stakelbeck.

And he isn’t afraid to go into the belly of the beast: witness his investigation into a network of dozens of Islamic compounds scattered in rural areas across the U.S. The compounds are controlled by a terror-tied Pakistani cleric who has been videotaped conducting terrorist training sessions with his followers on bombings, kidnappings, and assassinations.

Stakelbeck also explores the bizarre and counterproductive policy of the U.S. government — time and again, they turn to those responsible for radicalizing American Muslims for advice on dealing with the radicalization problem.

One such example he cites is the case of Yasir Qadhi, who was invited by the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) to speak at a conference on the topic of radicalization. Not only had Qadhi complained about being on the U.S. government’s terror watch list, his associated media company IlmQuest sold audio CD sets of al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and Qadhi was also an instructor in a two-week course hosted by his own organization — and attended by underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. Qadhi also gave a sermon attacking “the hoax of the Holocaust.”

When other establishment media outlets interview Qadhi, such as CNN, do you think they make any mention of Qadhi’s extremist background or Saudi Wahhabi religious training?

Stakelbeck broke the story of terror associate Louay Safi — who was captured on federal wiretaps talking with Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Sami Al-Arian and was named an unindicted co-conspirator in his terrorism trial — speaking on Islam to troops departing for Afghanistan at Fort Hood just weeks after Major Hasan’s shooting spree there that killed thirteen. Following the Fort Hood massacre, Safi had attributed the cause of the incident to “Islamophobia,” saying that “the extremist ideology response for violent outbursts is often rooted in the systematic demonization of marginalized groups.” After Stakelbeck’s report appeared, Safi was suspended as a military subcontractor.

Stakelbeck has also been willing to delve deeply into the taboo subject of the widespread extremism of the American Muslim community, and even on the impact such extremism has on American Muslims who dissent from it. Just one day after Anwar al-Awlaki issued a fatwa calling for the killing of millions of Americans, Stakelbeck found that –just a few miles from the White House — the largest Islamic store in the Washington, D.C., area featured a prominent display of Awlaki’s CDs and DVDs, along with other racist hate materials and books defending Islamic terrorism. When he interviewed the store’s owner (who quickly removed the Awlaki display), he was told that the materials were for sale because “they were very good sellers.” Indeed.

He has been willing to ask prominent U.S. Muslim leaders hard questions about their support for Islamic radicalism. His report last October exposed a Pennsylvania professor and Islamic leader who spoke at a rally denouncing Jews and encouraging the destruction of Israel. Needless to say, the professor — and officials from his university –refused to talk when asked for an interview.

Stakelbeck traveled to Dearborn, Michigan, and interviewed supposed “interfaith” leader Imam Mohammed Ali Elahi, who regularly consults with the Detroit FBI leadership. The imam quickly got tongue-tied after being asked about his open support for terrorist groups and the photographs on his own website that showed him with former Iranian dictator Ayatollah Khomeini and with leaders of Hezbollah.

Erick Stakelbeck’s reporting is a refreshing alternative to the drive-by coverage given to homegrown terrorism. When a large cell of would-be jihadists was busted in North Carolina in 2009, after all the networks had given their two-minute superficial coverage of the story and left the area, Stakelbeck continued to report with interviews of those who knew the suspects and provided new details about the case. When Tulsa, Oklahoma, resident Jamal Miftah was expelled and banned from his mosque for writing an editorial in the local newspaper attacking al-Qaeda, it was Erick Stakelbeck who was there to interview Miftah — not CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, or MSNBC. And while the media was huffing and puffing about opposition to the Ground Zero mosque last summer, Stakelbeck looked into the possible foreign funding sources for the wave of mega-mosque building occurring all over the country (he dedicates a chapter in his book to the topic).

These and other incidents from Stakelbeck’s reporting are covered in his book, which I highly recommend to anyone interested in learning more on the topic. It will certainly challenge many of the things you’ve heard from the establishment media and from our own government officials charged with addressing the homegrown terror threat. (Anyone remember Director of National Intelligence James Clapper telling Congress that the Muslim Brotherhood was a “largely secular organization”?) There’s a reason why ten years after 9/11 we’re still flying blind in the War on Terror, and Stakelbeck explores those reasons.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work directly with Erick Stakelbeck on several stories going all the way back to 2007. He investigated the largest known al-Qaeda cell operating in Columbus, Ohio, and the role of an internationally known extremist preacher and Hamas cleric, Salah Sultan, associated with that cell who only lived a mile from my own home in Hilliard, Ohio. I am honored to not only know Erick Stakelbeck as a colleague and sometime collaborator, but also as a friend.

Notwithstanding any personal bias on my part, the reason you need to read his new book, The Terrorist Next Door, is because he is one of the few reporters out there willing to pursue and report a story no matter how ugly and politically incorrect the truth he uncovers. While our government and its allies in the establishment media assure us that the problem of homegrown Islamic terrorism is impossible to diagnose – unless, of course, they blame “Islamophobia” — Erick Stakelbeck’s ongoing reporting shows the problem is much simpler than our political and media elites will ever admit. And the warning he issues about the threat is one that every American needs to hear.

10 Comments, 9 Threads

Keep up the good work; since America won’t ban muslims as a hate group or Nazis either, maybe all immigration will simply be stopped some day since all we are doing is importing failure, criminals and political radicals from the distinctly unimpressive Third World and in huge numbers.

America is not a giant refugee camp for the rest of the world – there are simply too many war and poverty hot spots. Time for our “equals” to set their own houses in order and make good places for themselves to live if they like a place like America so much.

“And he isn’t afraid to go into the belly of the beast: witness his investigation into a network of dozens of Islamic compounds scattered in rural areas across the U.S. The compounds are controlled by a terror-tied Pakistani cleric who has been videotaped conducting terrorist training sessions with his followers on bombings, kidnappings, and assassinations.”

But I thought according to Janet Napolitano and Eric Holder, the only compounds we had to worry about in this country belonged to right-wing militia types? Are the FBI, ATF, and about a dozen other Federal agencies paying attention to these radical Islamic compounds? It makes me shudder to think that we have people like Holder and Napolitano actually defending us. When it comes to national security, 2012 (and a new president) cannot come fast enough.

It is not this or that organization, it is the ideology of Islam that drives Muslim terrorism i.e. the Qur’an, the Hadiths and the Sira, and the life deeds, sayings, and example of Muhammad; texts which can be readily found by any person at any time and, if believed, can turn them into a Muslim terrorist.

Thus, all of these Muslim terrorists and would be terrorists are driven by their ideology to try to intimidate, attack, dominate, deceive, kill, and conquer all unbelievers. Until we accept this basic reality, we will not be able to deal effectively with Islam, Muslims and their terrorism, or the Jihad.

Many or perhaps most of those who visit here are of a (at least) similar mindset. We see clearly the danger these failures by government present and certainly most of us individually ‘prepare’ for the worst. However, if we look back at 1773, 1774 and so forth we will note that at some point action was taken. While no one in their right mind would suggest immediate civil disobedience we must face the facts that we have a leadership that is not just woefully inadequate but may WELL be “on the other side!” Certainly within politics there are some good leaders (Allen West comes to mind almost immediately) but without strong ‘grass roots’ support they stand little chance before the ‘hope and change’ rhetoric that drives current circumstances. Portions of this nation elected a person whose sole goal is to destroy from within everything we have stood for over the past 200+ years and to make a mockery out of the sacrifices made to sustain freedom and our sovereignty! It is imperative that responsible conservatives decide now if they will remain yoked to the political cart as it falls into the abyss or do something else? If you have friends or family that don’t realize what is happening, educate them… if they won’t see what is happening, they are not your friends, dismiss them forever… if you employ them, explain how ‘freedoms’ are essential to employment and you will be sad when they are unemployed… if you work for them start looking elsewhere because employment will come to an end if this socialistic bent continues… while it may be debated today, the Norht and South split families and friends and but the results were proper.

The 64 ton hunk of Halvah in the room is the fact that this is a clash of civilizations – actually a clash of civilization and medieval totalitarianism – which has been going on for nearly a thousand years. The question is not only do we recognize it as such but, given who we are and what we are about, what the hell do we do about it?

So are you one of those well-meaning people who thinks that the U.S. Constitution is a suicide pact?

It’s not. There’s not one damn thing in the Constitution that requires us to accept immigrants from Muslim countries. Did you know that we currently allow in nearly TWICE as many immigrants from Muslim countries per year as we did BEFORE 9/11??!!

I’m all for taking in the “tired, poor huddled masses”… just not from Muslim countries!

Mr. Stakelbeck joins a growing, if no where near long enough, list of journalists, writers, Islamic scholars, apostates and a few in the media that are getting this message. Some, Robert Spencer, Pamela Geller, Brigitte Gabriel, Raymond Ibrahim, Geert Wilders, Walid Shoebat, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Bat Ye’or, Daniel Pipes among many others come to mind as being in the forefront of this realization for a very long time. They’re pigeonholed by clueless, self aggrandizing, Liberal, ignorant, intellectual elites and many others who consider themselves representative of main stream American thought, as Islamophobes; ironic in the face of the reality that is there for all to see if they’re willing to take off their PC, multicultural blinders and stifle the ingrained Pavlov response, “Islam is a religion of peace.” Very odd, is it not, that berating any other religion or race is met with a global yawn while a harsh word, phrase, cartoon, etc. against “the religion of peace” is met with threats of violence or violence itself, committed by who? Why devout Muslims of course, the “peace loving victims” of all this “persecution and hate.”

So kudos to Mr. Stakelbeck for having the courage to speak the truth about these homicidal, religious fanatics. If history is any indicator he puts his own life in grave danger.

‘figures rush to tell us that these would-be terrorists are not known to have any connection to international terrorist groups”…in that group one should also put the FBI…they invariably cite the above. Why?

Given that the Qur’an, the Hadiths, and the Sira are widely available, and that the aggressive, violent, totalitarian, supremacist, xenophobic ideology of Islam is freely preached here in the U.S. and around the world, and that such texts and preaching can be found in bookstores and on thousands of sites on the Internet, it is obvious that one does not have to be in touch with or affiliated with any “Muslim terrorist group” to become a would be Muslim Jihadi, a “self-starter.”

But, just because such a would be Muslim terrorist might not be affiliated with any group this should not be a cause for relief or celebration, for while this means that such a would be terrorist might have less resources and knowledge at his command, he is still a terrorist who is seeking to carry out terrorist attacks and, moreover, is much harder for our counter-terrorist forces to find, precisely because he has no such betraying connections with Jihadi groups.